"Hey, Izumi?" The black haired girl smiled in response, her cherubic cheeks dimpling as she rested her hand in her palm. Though not chubby, Izumi was a tad pudgier than the average girl in town. This was probably due to being surrounded by fast food constantly and being unable to resist an occasional nibble or two.
"Uh, Mikuru? Hi, uh, what's up?"
"Not much. How are you doing right now?"
"Uh, I'm fine, really. Listen, I'm kinda on duty right now, and it looks like you need someone to talk to."
"Oh, I'm sorry! I don't wanna get you in trouble."
"Look, don't worry about it. I get off-shift in an hour. Do you mind waiting that long?"
"I don't mind."
"In the meantime, do you wanna eat something?"
Mikuru ended up returning to the counter a few times to grab more food, if not only to distract herself from her boredom. By the time Izumi stood beside Mikuru, a smile on her lips, the poor girl's bloated belly was pushing against the interior of her uniform. She rested her greasy fingers gingerly on her distended stomach as she rose to her feet, her skin pale and clammy.
"Had a little too much to eat?" Izumi asked, comfortingly placing a hand on Mikuru's back.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
As the two of them got into Izumi's car (no way in hell was Izumi walking), the black haired girl turned toward her orange haired companion, and asked, softly, "Listen, Mikuru, you look really stressed out. Is it that girl you're telling me about? Haruhi?"
"Um, maybe."
"Maybe nothing. Damn, that girl sounds like a nut."
"She's not that bad. It's just when she forces me to dress up for her, and--"
"Perv. Look, Mikuru, you need to distance yourself from that girl, for your own good!"
Mikuru couldn't. She had a mission from the future. She needed to do this. But still, at the same time, how much longer could she go with all the fondling, stripping, and humiliation in font of Kyon? "But what should I do...?"
Izumi considered this for a few moments before saying, finally...